Tomorrow, Friday, March 13 marks the opening of the Thessaloniki Documentary Festival, which sees its 17th edition run through Sunday, March 22. While I’ve been fortunate to attend the past few years, I’m taking a break this time around. The following section overview offers highlights of new and recent films that I would try to see, were I to be heading to Greece:
Filed under Documentary, Film, Film Festivals, Overviews, Recommendations
Coming to NYC’s Stranger Than Fiction tonight, Thursday, March 12: A DANGEROUS GAME
Anthony Baxter’s exposé on the high cost of luxury golf development debuted at Hot Docs last year. It went on to screen at Sheffield, Edinburgh, Hamptons, DC’s Environmental fest, Vancouver, Reykjavik, Denver, and One World, among others.
In 2011, Baxter’s previous documentary, YOU’VE BEEN TRUMPED, drew significant press and festival attention as it chronicled billionaire Donald Trump’s concerted efforts to develop a golf course in Scotland, despite the resistance of several locals and serious environmental concerns. While revisiting this story and its protagonists – who Trump vilified in the press, but who emerged as local heroes – Baxter’s follow-up expands beyond Aberdeenshire to explore other contentious, posh golf resort developments, including another Trump foray in New Jersey, an unconnected project in Dubrovnik, Croatia, and an environmentally dodgy Las Vegas set course. Baxter also underscores the point that he’s not against the game in and of itself, profiling his golf-loving uncle, who provides some quirky moments and historical context. And, finally, if this all weren’t enough, Baxter- channelling Michael Moore – re-engages the Trumps, finally getting Donald and his son to consent to on camera interviews as a form of damage control that doesn’t quite go their way, ultimately. It’s a bit much for the somewhat too-slickly produced yet still folksy film to juggle, but Baxter still manages to make his new film accessible to viewers who haven’t seen its predecessor, while maintaining the impact of its David vs Goliath themes.
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This Friday, March 13, sees the kick off of the latest edition of SXSW, with the film program continuing through Saturday, March 21. I’ll be attending the first half of the festival, joining the hordes of film, music, and interactive professionals and fans who annually descend on Austin. In terms of nonfiction programming, the festival has increased the number of feature docs in its lineup after a bit of a reduction last year, with 68 out of 145 selections. The following section breakdown (excepting Festival Favorites and Midnighters) offers highlights of many of these: Continue reading
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Coming to DVD today, Tuesday, March 10: REMOTE AREA MEDICAL
Jeff Reichert and Farihah Zaman’s microcosmic exploration of health care access had its world premiere at Full Frame in 2013. Additional screenings followed at Hot Docs, IFF Boston, Sarasota, RiverRun, Traverse City, Seattle, Los Angeles, Denver, and Nashville, among others.
I previously wrote about the film out of Hot Docs here.
Filed under Documentary, Film, Recommendations, Releases
Coming to theatres today, Friday, March 6: MERCHANTS OF DOUBT
Robert Kenner’s exposé of anti-science corporate shills made its debut last year at Telluride and Toronto. It went on to screen at the New York Film Festival, DOC NYC, CPH:DOX, Palm Springs, Whistler, Hong Kong, Goteborg, and ZagrebDox, among others.
While in no way household names, the subjects of Kenner’s latest film might be vaguely familiar to viewers, particularly those who make a habit of watching cable news networks. They’ve made a career out of making media appearances, acting as “scientific experts” offering their opinions on a variety of issues like tobacco safety or climate change. Their use of dubious statistics and studies is designed to sow doubt about the credibility of consumer threat – just what their corporate employers want. While Big Tobacco or Big Oil don’t necessarily think these pundits-for-hire will convince everyone that cigarettes don’t cause cancer, or that global warming is a hoax, that’s not important – their actual goal is to convince enough people that there is even a debate to be had, a stalling tactic that’s been successful time and time again in delaying actual substantive change from being made. Kenner slickly details several examples of this public misdirection, adopting a similar feel as in his earlier call to action doc FOOD INC, resulting in an equally enraging and engaging polemic against those entities who put profit ahead of all else.
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Coming to theatres tomorrow, Friday, March 6: THE MIND OF MARK DEFRIEST
Gabriel London’s exploration of the history of a notorious prison escape artist debuted at Hot Docs last year. It went on to screen at DOC NYC, Los Angeles, Tallgrass, Denver, and Lone Star, among others. The film has already led to surprising developments in DeFriest’s case.
I previously wrote about the film for DOC NYC’s program, saying:
In 1979, teenager Mark DeFriest received a four-year prison sentence for stealing his own tools. After countless outrageous jailbreak attempts – many humorously recounted here through animated sequences – he’s still incarcerated and will be until 2084. Shortly after his confinement began, Mark’s mental competency was questioned, but the opinion of Dr Robert Berland, a single dissenting psychiatrist, kept him behind bars. Now, agreeing to re-examine the oddly amiable but troubled Houdini, Dr Berland may provide the means to finally secure Mark’s freedom.
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Coming to theatres this Friday, March 6: AN HONEST LIAR
Justin Weinstein and Tyler Measom’s portrait of a famed paranormal debunker bowed at Tribeca last year. It went on to screen at Nantucket, Hot Docs, AFI Docs, and Outfest, among other fests.
I previously wrote about the doc here.
Filed under Documentary, Film, Recommendations, Releases
Beginning tomorrow, Thursday, March 5, the 12th edition of the True/False Film Festival takes over Columbia MO through the weekend. More than forty features figure in the popular destination event’s programming, representing an eclectic cross-section of brand new work, recent Sundance titles, standouts from the past Fall’s European festivals like IDFA, CPH:DOX, and elsewhere, several “secret screenings” that offer attendees sneak previews of upcoming debuts, and works on the border of fiction and nonfiction, as featured in the event’s Neither/Nor series. I’m looking forward to returning to the festival again, with the below highlights foremost on my watch list: Continue reading
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Coming to the WORLD Channel’s Strength of Women series tonight, Wednesday March 4: NO EVIDENCE OF DISEASE
Andrea Kalin’s look at a rock band’s efforts to spread awareness of cancer has been screening around the country via TUGG since 2013, and has appeared in events including the Rocky Mountain Women’s Film Festival, Awareness Film Festival, Cinequest, and Australia’s Big Picture Film Festival. The film screened nationwide and in Canada on February 4 in commemoration of World Cancer Day.
While most people are aware of breast cancer and its devastating impact, much less attention has been placed on the various forms of GYN cancer that claim the lives of thousands each year. The members of NED – which stands for No Evidence of Disease, a term for remission – do their part to change that, not only by performing benefit concerts and incorporating survivors into their shows, but notably through their day jobs: The six members of the band are gynecological oncologists, specialists in treating ovarian, cervical, labial, and uterine cancers. Kalin profiles each of the doctor bandmates, as well as several courageous patients, but the heart of her intimate and inspirational film is the solitary female physician, Joanie, NED’s compelling lead singer.
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Coming to NYC’s Film Forum this Friday, March 6: GREY GARDENS
Albert and David Maysles, Ellen Hovde, and Muffie Meyer’s seminal portrait of an unforgettable mother and daughter bowed in 1975 at the New York Film Festival. It went on to screen at Cannes and Toronto the following year, and is recognized as a classic of nonfiction filmmaking. The film now returns to theatres in a newly restored version for its 40th anniversary.
I previously wrote about the doc here.
Filed under Documentary, Film, Recommendations, Releases
